War profiteer companieshttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies
enAmTec Less Lethal Systemshttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/amtec-less-lethal-systems
<div data-history-node-id="41716" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<time>
20 Mar 2019</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>AmTec Less Lethal Systems (ALS) specialises in a wide range of “less lethal” weapons and equipment designed for use by police, law enforcement, security, prison and military personnel. Amtec makes products in a factory and training centre based in Florida, and employs around 50 people. In October 2018 ALS was <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pacem-defense-completes-acquisition-of-amtec-less-lethal-systems-inc-perry-florida-factory-and-training-complex-300733936.html">acquired by a company called PACEM Defence</a>, which the company said would allow “PACEM to expand into emerging markets such as the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Middle East and Africa (ME&A), East Europe, and Asia.” PACEM Defence itself is a subsidiary of PACEM Solutions. At the same time as the acquisition, PACEM appointed a former president of Chemring – Michael Queensbury - as the President of ALS.</p>
<p><figure role="group" class="embedded-entity align-left"><article><img alt="A hornets nest round - a cylinder filled with small rubber balls" class="img-responsive" src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/medium/public/hornets_nest.jpg?itok=QY9iOE2Q" srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/max_325x325/public/hornets_nest.jpg?itok=7M0CKZV0 1x" title="A "hornets nest" round" typeof="foaf:Image" /></article><figcaption>A "hornets nest" round</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>On its website, ALS advertises the sale of a wide range of products, including “hydro-kinetic impact bags”, “Hornets nest” rounds (“producing blunt trauma and pain compliance”), bean bag rounds, 37 and 40mm rubber bullets, hand deployed stun grenades, reloadable impact grenades, smoke grenades, stun grenades. They also offer a number of different launchers for 37 and 40mm rounds, including the patented ALSTAC-37 single shot launcher for firing “less-lethal” ammunition including bean bag rounds and CS rounds.</p>
<p>ALS also offers a wide range of training opportunities for law-enforcement agencies. The training centre includes buildings designed to train in forced entry, hostage rescue, prisons, and a number of firing ranges. The company advertises training designed “to help reduce your agency’s exposure to product liability lawsuits”.</p>
<p>In September 2018 two workers were killed at the companies plant in Florida. A former worker <a href="https://eu.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/10/24/former-amtec-taylor-county-plant-employee-warned-explosion-risk/1749066002/">submitted a complaint to the Florida Commission on Human Rights</a>, alleging that she had been fired after warning managers about the risks objecting to repeated sexual harassment by her supervisor. The whistleblower alleged that safety equipment was not being used, and that too many pounds of flash powder were being stored in the building.</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">United States of America</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Police militarisation theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/equipment-training-and-tactics" hreflang="en">Equipment, training and tactics</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/amtec-less-lethal-systems" data-a2a-title="AmTec Less Lethal Systems"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2019%2Famtec-less-lethal-systems&title=AmTec%20Less%20Lethal%20Systems"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41716&2=comment&3=comment" token="97-s4dNReO6PaL5r7D3AgLcFeTWI1yFQYC32HkHlS4s"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:05:39 +0000Andrew41716 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/amtec-less-lethal-systems#commentsWar profiteer of the month: SIG Sauerhttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/war-profiteer-month-sig-sauer
<div data-history-node-id="41695" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2019-02/sig_sauer_p320_9mm_pistol.jpg?itok=ljSQdOGK 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/jpeg"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2019-02/sig_sauer_p320_9mm_pistol.jpg?itok=mA0F9Rrk 1x" type="image/jpeg"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2019-02/sig_sauer_p320_9mm_pistol.jpg?itok=mA0F9Rrk" alt="A black hand gun sits on top of a black plastic box" title="A Sig Sauer P320 handgun. Photo: wikipedia/Texaswarhawk, CC4.0" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">A Sig Sauer P320 handgun. Photo: wikipedia/Texaswarhawk, CC4.0</div>
<time>
13 Feb 2019</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Sig Sauer is a brand name used by two sister companies based in Germany and the USA. The company, originally based in Germany, was founded in 1976 from a partnership between two other arms companies - Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) and J.P. Sauer & Sohn of Germany. In 1985, Sig Sauer set up a US subsidiary, originally named SIGARMS, before changing its name to Sig Sauer Inc. in 2007. The US arm employs around 1,200 people.</p>
<p>Both companies specialise in the production of pistols and firearms – the US company claims that a third of police officers in the USA carry a Sig Sauer pistol. The company also sells to the American military; the US SEAL special forces teams have been armed with Sig Sauer handguns <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/sig-sauer-vs-glock-why-navy-seals-dumped-p226-glock-19-44312">since 1989</a>.</p>
<h1>Advertising to civilians</h1>
<p>The US company's website explicitly advertises a wide range of different pistols and rifles to law enforcement, military, and private security bodies, as well as accessories such as electro-optic sights, suppressors, slings, holsters, knives, magazines, and ammunition. One blog post on the website details the “history of the US Army’s sidearm” in a series of short videos. The post details how Sig Sauer won a US Army competition to develop a new handgun to replace the standard Beretta M9 with the development of the M17/18. The post ends with an advertising video for the civilian version, the P320-M17 pistol, drawing heavily on the fact it was “selected by the US Army”, and describes the weapon as having the “same innovation and versatility as the US Army’s M17 in a civilian version”.</p>
<p>The company’s website also features a tool for filtering to different weapons based on the “planned usage”. Selecting “home defense” immediately leads to a page prominently advertising the SIG MPX SBR submachine gun.</p>
<p><figure role="group" class="embedded-entity align-center"><article><img alt="A screenshot from the Sig Sauer website shows a woman standing, looking cautious. She is holding a large rifle." class="img-responsive" src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/max_1300x1300/public/screenshot_2019-02-12_at_16.41.47.png?itok=L0WpELUF" srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/max_1300x1300/public/screenshot_2019-02-12_at_16.41.47.png?itok=L0WpELUF 1x" typeof="foaf:Image" /></article><figcaption>A screenshot from the SIG Sauer website.</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>In 2016, a Sig Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle was used <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/assault-rifle-used-by-orlando-mass-shooter">to murder 49 people</a> and wound many more at a nightclub in Orlando. The weapon is a civilian version - described as a “modern sporting rifle” - of a weapon <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/06/the-sig-sauer-mcx-used-in-orlando-is-a-modern-sporting-rifle-not-an-assault-weapon-according-to-gunmakers-heres-why.html">designed for the US special forces</a>.</p>
<h1>Controversial exports</h1>
<p>The company has also exported widely, including Central and South America. In March 2015, the Department of State notified Congress of a Direct Commercial Sales license agreement for Sig Sauer, Inc. to sell rifles and pistols for the Mexican military and federal and state police forces, for a value of up to $266 million. The license is valid until February 2024. Between 2015 and 2017, Sig Sauer delivered 3,179 assault rifles; 696 machine guns; and 8,361 pistols to Mexico. In 2015, activists in Germany filed charges against the company following <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/german-gunmaker-sig-sauer-faces-criminal-charges-over-mexico-drug-killings/a-18684532">revelations that a </a><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/german-gunmaker-sig-sauer-faces-criminal-charges-over-mexico-drug-killings/a-18684532">member of a Mexican drug cartel</a> used a Sig Sauer handgun to kill 12 people, including a prominent human rights campaigner.</p>
<p>Sig Sauer have also exported handguns to Colombia, to be used by police forces there. In 2014, the German company was accused of illegally supplying 36,000 SP2022 handguns to Colombia via the US Sig Sauer, an act that <a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/ceo-nh-gun-maker-facing-five-years-german-prison-alleged-arms-deal#stream/0">may violate Germany’s Foreign Trade Act</a>. The German company was subsequently banned from exporting, and German prosecutors <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-28291070">raided the company’s headquarters</a>. SIG Sauer is alleged to have submitted false end-use certificates to German export officials, which stated that that the German handguns would only be used in the USA. The contract was worth over $306 million. In November, the CEO of Sig Sauer was arrested at Frankfurt Airport.</p>
<p>Also in 2014, the German company was raided, following allegations of illegally shipping handguns to Kazakhstan.</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">United States of America</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/101" hreflang="en">Germany</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/270" hreflang="en">Colombia</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Companies</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/690" hreflang="en">Sig Sauer</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/war-profiteer-month-sig-sauer" data-a2a-title="War profiteer of the month: SIG Sauer"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2019%2Fwar-profiteer-month-sig-sauer&title=War%20profiteer%20of%20the%20month%3A%20SIG%20Sauer"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41695&2=comment&3=comment" token="mpaLkH_UbsrljMtagr-chP_55Mumcufz0Y5edl94kZU"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 11:59:14 +0000Andrew41695 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/war-profiteer-month-sig-sauer#commentsWar profiteer of the month: The Safariland Grouphttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/war-profiteer-month-safariland-group
<div data-history-node-id="41672" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2019-01/tear_gas_ferguson.jpg?itok=HJYmHZFA 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/jpeg"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2019-01/tear_gas_ferguson.jpg?itok=TanWZHfG 1x" type="image/jpeg"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2019-01/tear_gas_ferguson.jpg?itok=TanWZHfG" alt="A man stands still with his arm raised amid a cloud of tear gas at night" title="A protester in Ferguson, USA, amid a cloud of tear gas" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">A protester in Ferguson, USA, amid a cloud of tear gas</div>
<time>
03 Jan 2019</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><article class="embedded-entity align-right"><img srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/large/public/safariland_group.png?itok=s4p4gQUD 1x" src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/large/public/safariland_group.png?itok=s4p4gQUD" alt="The Safariland Group logo" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></article></p>
<p>Safariland is an American company, founded in California in 1964, specialising in a wide range of products and services for police and security forces. Safariland is made up of a number of different companies and brands, and has estimated revenues of $500 million. In 1969, the company formed American Body Armor, and went on to form a range of other brands. Safariland was acquired by a company called Armor Holdings, which was in turn bought by BAE Systems, the UK’s largest arms company, in 2007. BAE Systems sold Safariland in 2012 for $124 million. More recently Safariland has since acquired a number of other companies, including Mustang Survival (a producer of a range of survival and water equipment), Med-Eng (which builds “battle-proven equipment to defeat explosive and heat related threats”, and Tactical Command Industries Inc. (offering a wide range of communication equipment like ear pieces, microphones).</p>
<p>Through these various brands, Safariland offers a range of services and products for police and security forces around the world, including:</p>
<ul><li>
<p>militarised police training and simulation</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>crowd control weapons</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>tear gas and other chemical weapons</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>impact munitions (such as baton, foam, rubber, wooden and bean bag rounds)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>launchers and various accessories</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>handcuffs and other restraints</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>holsters, slings and bags</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>bomb protection suits</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>body armour</p>
</li>
</ul><p>Products sold by the various Safariland Group brands have been documented in a large number of countries, many with dubious human rights records and a history of militarised crowd control techniques or responses to protest. These include:</p>
<ul><li>Mexico</li>
<li>Turkey</li>
<li>Venezuela</li>
<li>Israel</li>
<li>Bahrain</li>
<li>USA</li>
</ul><p>Most recently, activists collected evidence of chemical weapons such as tear gas being used against the “migrant caravan”, whose members travelled across Central America to the USA/Mexico border to seek asylum in the last months of 2018. Border officers fired tear gas at the migrants as they approached the border – the tear gas used was produced by Defence Technology, a subsidiary of Safariland.</p>
<p>In 2015 a protester involved in the Standing Rock protests sued Defence Technology, claiming that one of the companies flash bangs almost severed her left hand. The companies munitions were also used in response to the protest <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ferguson-tear-gas_n_5679931?ec_carp=2221363998326191938">in Ferguson in 2014</a> and against Occupy Oakland activists. In February 2018, students at Brown University protested the boards decision to allow Safariland's CEO - Warren Kander - to sit on the advisor council of Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/denizcam/2018/12/06/meet-the-safariland-multimillionaire-getting-rich-off-tear-gas-and-more-in-the-defense-industry/#398548c17b0a">The students wrote</a> "From Egypt to the occupied Palestinian territories, Ferguson to Standing Rock, the weapons sold and promoted by The Safariland Group have been used to suppress protests, maim or kill activists and intimidate social movements.... [Kanders] should not have an advisory role or any other role at Brown.”</p>
<p>The Safariland Group exhibited at a number of other arms fairs around the world, including DSEI (UK), Security and Policing (UK), Eurosatory (France), MiliPol (France), Urban Shield (USA), and Land Forces 2018 (Australia).</p>
<h1>Safariland Academy</h1>
<p>The Safariland Training Academy offers regular workshops and training directed towards police, military and security personnel. An extensive video on the companies website illustrates a wide range of training opportunities, often displaying militarised equipment and techniques, including sniper rifles, chemical weapons, forced entry techniques, and heavily armed personnel. One segment explores “world wide, universal ways of controlling and hand cuffing people… we have people from Switzerland, Indonesia, Malaysia… east-coast to the west-coast of the United States”. The company offers “instructor level” courses, which allow participants to train members of their own organisations.</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/465" hreflang="en">Front Page</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">United States of America</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/171" hreflang="en">Bahrain</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/144" hreflang="en">Mexico</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/228" hreflang="en">Israel</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/507" hreflang="en">Police militarisation</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Police militarisation theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/equipment-training-and-tactics" hreflang="en">Equipment, training and tactics</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/repression-protest" hreflang="en">Repression of protest</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2019/war-profiteer-month-safariland-group" data-a2a-title="War profiteer of the month: The Safariland Group"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2019%2Fwar-profiteer-month-safariland-group&title=War%20profiteer%20of%20the%20month%3A%20The%20Safariland%20Group"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41672&2=comment&3=comment" token="xY-mHIS0dwtD7G0DGMrcKy7MBXgHhBoffamkpA8glcU"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Thu, 03 Jan 2019 13:35:49 +0000Andrew41672 at https://www.wri-irg.orgWar profiteer of the month: General Atomicshttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-general-atomics
<div data-history-node-id="41615" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-11/reaper_drone.jpg?itok=S8uFmsV_ 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/jpeg"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-11/reaper_drone.jpg?itok=xi23ZxTC 1x" type="image/jpeg"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-11/reaper_drone.jpg?itok=xi23ZxTC" alt="A drone in flight. The background is a dusty sandy landscape." title="A General Atomics Reaper drone in flight" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">A General Atomics Reaper drone in flight</div>
<time>
13 Nov 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>General Atomics is an American company, formed in 1955, with headquarters in San Diego in California. In 2016 General Atomics ranked 46th on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) list of the Top 100 arms-producing and military servicing companies. SIPRI estimated that the company made around $1.8bn worth of arms sales in 2016.</p>
<p>The company specialises in nuclear physics, as well as building remotely operated surveillance aircraft, missile defence rail gun systems, sensor systems, ground control stations, and training and support services.</p>
<p>The company is made up of a number of affiliated companies including:</p>
<ul><li>
<p><strong>General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)</strong>, a “leading manufacturer” of unmanned aircraft. GA-ASI builds the Predator UAV. GA-ASI is supported in the UK by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems UK Ltd.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>General Atomics Systems Integration, LLC (GA-SI)</strong> “specializes as a full service solution to meet the persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) challenges facing domestic and allied nation security missions.”</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Cotter Corporation</strong> is a mining and milling company producing uranium, vanadium, silver, copper and a range of other products.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Nuclear Fuels Corporation</strong> markets uranium produced by General Atomics mining operations.</p>
</li>
</ul><h1>Drones</h1>
<p>Drones have allowed a huge expansion of targetted extrajudicial killings around the world, particularly by the US military and CIA in the wars following the 9/11 attacks – the CIA first used a Predator drone in a targetted killing in February 2002, in Afghanistan. Since 2001 the Predator and Reaper drones built by General Atomics have contributed significantly to this new type of warfare.</p>
<h2>MQ-1 Predator</h2>
<p>The MQ-1 Predator was originally designed in the 1990s as an unmanned surveillance aircraft, first used by the US military in 1995, and marked an era of drone combat. It was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/13/predator-drone-retire-reaper-us-military-obama">modified in 1999 </a>to to be able to carry two Hellfire missiles, and has been used in a large number of US military operations since, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Syria and Somalia. Production of the Predator ended in October 2015, with the completion of an order from the Italian air force and the US deciding to “retire” the drone. The Predator has been sold to the United States Air Force, as well as the Italian, Turkish and Moroccan air forces.</p>
<h2>MQ-9 Reaper</h2>
<p>The Reaper was first flown in 2001, and is a larger and more powerful successor to the MQ-1 Predator – it can fly further, higher, for longer. As it was introduced, Michael Moseley, the US Airforce Chief of Staff said “We've moved from using UAVs primarily in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles before Operation Iraqi Freedom, to a true hunter-killer role with the Reaper.” Moseley said that the name “Reaper” was chosen by the US Air Force “as it captures the lethal nature of this new weapons system”.</p>
<p>The Reaper drone was first used in combat in 2007 in Afghanistan, with the Air Force Times reporting the MQ-9 was first used to kill on 28th October 2007. By 2016 the US Air Force were operating 195 Reapers, and plan to keep them in service until the 2030s. A Reaper drone can carry 4 Hellfire or Paveway missiles. Each drone costs $16m, and costs around $4,600 per hour of flight, significantly cheaper than traditional manned aircraft.</p>
<p>The Reaper is flown by the US Air Force, US Homeland Security, Australia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, India and Belgium.</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Companies</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/685" hreflang="en">General Atomics</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-general-atomics" data-a2a-title="War profiteer of the month: General Atomics"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Fwar-profiteer-month-general-atomics&title=War%20profiteer%20of%20the%20month%3A%20General%20Atomics"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41615&2=comment&3=comment" token="rxHq0mB59TRpJi5z_iLorNlt74Ub_hViBjHJRsGyKNw"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 15:44:32 +0000Andrew41615 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-general-atomics#commentsWar profiteer of the month: L3 Technologieshttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-l3-technologies
<div data-history-node-id="41603" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-10/screen_shot_2018-10-22_at_16.17.38.png?itok=yP4KG7o6 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/png"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-10/screen_shot_2018-10-22_at_16.17.38.png?itok=SPI3eg7L 1x" type="image/png"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-10/screen_shot_2018-10-22_at_16.17.38.png?itok=SPI3eg7L" alt="A laser system mounted on a ship" title="A laser system developed by L3 Technologies mounted on a ship" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">A laser system developed by L3 Technologies mounted on a ship</div>
<time>
22 Oct 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>L3 Technologies is one of the world’s biggest arms companies, ranking 8th in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) annual list of the top 100 arms companies. The company was founded in 1997, and by 2017 the companies revenues were over $9.5 billion. In 2016 the company employed 38,000 people.</p>
<p>L3 Technologies specialises in high tech systems for command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as avionics and aerospace products, and training/ They supply the US military, US Homeland Security, and other US government agencies. The company was formed from elements of the Lockheed Martin corporation that had previously been part of another company called Loral Corporation, and was originally named “L-3 Communications”. The company has gone on to acquire many other arms companies, including companies producing specialist defence electronics, night vision goggles, flight simulators, and underwater power systems for unmanned underwater vehicles, and now has a wide portfolio of different weapons and military technology.</p>
<p>One example of technology the company has developed and markets heavily is the <a href="https://www.l3t.com/video/manned-unmanned-teaming-mumt-demonstration">Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUMT) system</a>, which allows a range of different military vehicles to share communications, providing “the tactical advantage [commanders] need in a war fighting environment”. The system integrates a range of drones, sensors, and other technology so “the entire formation can see the battle as it unfolds and it can make real-time decisions… that’s going to be enable us to be more capable in our war fighting capability.” The L3 website includes a video of representatives from the company marketing the system at the Farnborough airshow in 2018.</p>
<p>Other equipment the company markets on it’s website and at arms fairs include:</p>
<ul><li>
<p>The Advanced Low-cost Munitions Ordnance (ALaMO) guided projectile for military ships to use to attack moving targets,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Electro-Optical Sighting Systems (EOSS) a targeting system for cruiser and destroyer ships,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>High-energy laser beam directors, a laser weapon capable of targeting moving objects on the water or in the air,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Hawkeye III, a communications system for military use in emergency situations, designed to be very quick and easy to setup and configure.</p>
</li>
</ul><h1>Sales</h1>
<p>L3 publishes details of some of their contracts and sales. Recent examples include:</p>
<ul><li>
<p>a multi-million dollar contract to <a href="https://www.army-technology.com/news/l3-supply-bnvd-1531-night-vision-binocular-canadian-agency/">supply a Canadian government agency</a> with night vision binoculars,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>a <a href="https://www.army-technology.com/news/us-army-awards-391m-contract-l3-envg-b-goggles/">$391 million dollar order</a> of night vision goggles from the US military,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>a $97m contract to produce Umanned Aerial Vehicle Receive (UR) technology for US Apache helicopters, allowing the manned and unmanned vehicles to share video and other data,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>In July 2017, the US military contracted L3 Technologies to supply a range of mortar detonation fuses,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>BAE Systems will <a href="https://www.army-technology.com/projects/paladin-m109a7-155mm-artillery-system/">use the L3 HMPT-500</a> automatic transmission in the “next generation” Paladin artillery.</p>
</li>
</ul><h1>Arms fairs</h1>
<p>L3 regularly attends arms fairs around the world – in 2018, the company has displayed – or is expected to - at Euronaval 2018 (Paris 23-26th October), Bahrain Airshow (14-16th November 2018), EDEX (Egypt, 3-5th December), Eurosatory 2018 (Paris, 11-15th June), Fidae 2018 (Chile, 3-5th April), and a number of others.</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/465" hreflang="en">Front Page</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-l3-technologies" data-a2a-title="War profiteer of the month: L3 Technologies"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Fwar-profiteer-month-l3-technologies&title=War%20profiteer%20of%20the%20month%3A%20L3%20Technologies"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41603&2=comment&3=comment" token="XnuexcbMCAWouwBuI7U7HBOMHiT65AjjxVlSU-aI4ZY"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Mon, 22 Oct 2018 15:12:18 +0000Andrew41603 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-l3-technologies#commentsWar profiteer of the month: Rheinmetallhttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-rheinmetall
<div data-history-node-id="41583" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-09/rheinmetall_action.png?itok=MNeNCwcS 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/png"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-09/rheinmetall_action.png?itok=vmlOJ057 1x" type="image/png"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-09/rheinmetall_action.png?itok=vmlOJ057" alt="An orange banner at the top reads "War Starts Here". Another banner lies on the floor. Between them is a line of people sat with their backs to the camera, blocking a road." title="Activists take part in a blockade at a Rheinmetall factory. Source: Twitter" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">Activists take part in a blockade at a Rheinmetall factory. Source: Twitter</div>
<time>
05 Sep 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><article class="embedded-entity align-right"><img srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/max_325x325/public/rheinmetall_logo.png?itok=EbxCp-Bg 1x" src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/medium/public/rheinmetall_logo.png?itok=oMxZlUbv" alt="The "Rheinmetall Group" logo" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></article></p>
<p class="western">Rheinmetall is a German defence and automotive company founded in 1889, and is Germany's biggest arms manufacturer. In the 2017 fiscal year, Rheinmetall's defence sales were €3.036 billion (the automotive segment were €2.861 billion), and the company employs a total of 23,726 people. Rheinmetall is headquartered in Dusseldorf, and builds a range of different weapons, including vehicles, autocannons (a rapid-firing, automatic weapon firing armour piecing explosive shells), anti-tank systems, artillery, mortars, and ammunition. In 2016, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), listed Rheinmetall as the world's 26<sup>th</sup> biggest arms company, rising from 30<sup>th</sup> in 2015.</p>
<p class="western">Rheinmetall is made up of a large number of<a href="https://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/en/rheinmetall_defence/company/divisions_and_subsidiaries/index.php"> subsidiary companies</a> around the world, including South Africa, Singapore, Canada, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, the United States of America, the Netherlands, and Australia.</p>
<p class="western">Rheinmetall have sold to countries all over the world, and the companies website regularly boasts of international orders of weapons. Since September 2017, the company has announced:</p>
<ul><li>
<p class="western">an order from an “Asian customer” for a Skyshield air defence system worth over €100 million,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">Australian ordering 211 “Boxcar” armoured vehicles worth €2.1 billion, and 1000 logistical trucks,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">a €12 million order from Canada to extend the navies MASS countermeasure systems,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">an order from an “international customer” for €380 million worth of artillery and tank ammunition,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">winning an EU contract for preliminary studies for the “Generic Open Soldier Systems Reference Architecture”, or GOSSRA, system,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">two artillery orders worth €5.8 million from the US military and navy.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">A contract to upgrade 104 Leopard tanks for the German military.</p>
</li>
</ul><h1 class="western">Arms to Turkey</h1>
<p class="western">The company supplied some of the Leopard tanks used in Turkey's offensive in Afrin in mid-2018, with footage apparently showing them being used against Kurdish forces. At the time the company was due to upgrade the armour on Turkey's tanks, making them less vulnerable to rockets and booby traps. Some German politicians said the Turkish incursion was illegal, and demanded the upgrade be halted.</p>
<h1 class="western">Tear gas</h1>
<p class="western">Rheinmetall owns 51% of the South African arms company Denel. Bahraini activists collected evidence that Denel's tear gas weapons were used by the Bahraini government in violent responses to pro-democracy protesters in 2014. The company denied ever offering or supplying Bahrain with teargas, but a follow-up request from journalists as to whether there were ever exports to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates – countries that provided military support to crush pro-democracy protests – <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/bahrains-government-addicted-to-teargas/a-17387205">received no response</a>.</p>
<h1 class="western">Resistance</h1>
<p class="western">The company has faced repeated protests and campaigns.</p>
<ul><li>
<p class="western">At the companies 2017 annual general meeting, activists parked a (decommissioned) Leopard tank outside the hotel, in protest at the companies plans to build a tank factory in Turkey.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">In September 2017, German artists <a href="https://hyperallergic.com/401386/german-artists-protest-arms-manufacturer-deutschland-8/">wrote an open letter</a> objecting to Rheinmetall sponsoring an exhibition of German contemporary art in Beijing.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">In May 2018, a large protest was held at the companies AGM, in solidarity with the people of Afrin and demanding the company stops arming the Turkish government,</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="western">In September 2018, a peace camp culminated in a blockade and street protest outside the companies factory in Unterluss. Read our article on the protest <a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/node/41584">here</a>.</p>
</li>
</ul></div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/101" hreflang="en">Germany</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/256" hreflang="en">Turkey</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/171" hreflang="en">Bahrain</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/507" hreflang="en">Police militarisation</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Police militarisation theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/equipment-training-and-tactics" hreflang="en">Equipment, training and tactics</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Companies</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/503" hreflang="en">Rheinmetall Denel</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/684" hreflang="en">Rheinmetall</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-rheinmetall" data-a2a-title="War profiteer of the month: Rheinmetall"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Fwar-profiteer-month-rheinmetall&title=War%20profiteer%20of%20the%20month%3A%20Rheinmetall"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41583&2=comment&3=comment" token="F3cVhHoCBWn9VGk5Y3Xnqoe28knWKGnkPqw_pbm6Cfw"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:41:33 +0000Andrew41583 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-rheinmetall#commentsWar Profiteer of the Month: Imperial Armourhttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-imperial-armour
<div data-history-node-id="41568" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-08/imperial_armour.png?itok=4UvU_psQ 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/png"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-08/imperial_armour.png?itok=utyJp-fT 1x" type="image/png"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-08/imperial_armour.png?itok=utyJp-fT" alt="A screenshot from the Imperial Armour website showing body armour, helmets, goggles, holsters and other equipment" title="A screenshot from the Imperial Armour website showing body armour, helmets, goggles, holsters and other equipment" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">A screenshot from the Imperial Armour website showing body armour, helmets, goggles, holsters and other equipment</div>
<time>
13 Aug 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Imperial Armour is a South African company based in Durban, which produces a wide range of clothing, uniforms, boots, bullet proof vests and body armour, helmets, bags, and equipment such as binoculars, belts and holsters for military, police, fire and rescue, and demining groups. The company was formed in 2000, and has supplied to over <a href="http://www.imperial-armour.com/about-us/">75 different countries</a>, with <a href="http://www.imperial-armour.com/international-agents/">international agents</a> in countries including Kenya, Kuwait, Namibia, Pakistan, Qatar, and Vietnam. Imperial Armour recently supplied 1000 helmets to Cameroon, completed a contract with the Botswanan military, and is bidding on a contract to supply the South Africa Police Service with 2,600 units of protective gear. The company regularly develops and promotes new equipment, recently launching a new “ultra-light” riot suit.</p>
<p>The company also appears to advertise to the domestic market in South Africa; their social media feeds encourage readers to decide if they feel safe when driving, or walking the dog, and proposing weapons such as pepper spray, extendable batons, and knuckle gloves as “necessary additions” and “preventatives”. The company has also used social media to market body armour to farmers in South Africa, including holding live firing demonstrations and competitions to win equipment, and uses its website to give advice if you have “walked into a riot”. Imperial Armour regularly exhibits at arms fairs around the world, including IDEF (in Tel Aviv, Israel), DSA (in Malaysia), and DSEI (in London).</p>
<p>In 2005, Mark Thomas <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/node/195392">reported on torture equipment made available by companies at the DSEI </a><a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/node/195392">arms fair</a> – though not directly marketed, Thomas claimed Imperial Armour were prepared to “fix a deal” on electric shock batons – it is illegal in the UK to to “directly or indirectly... promote the supply and delivery” of such weapons, described by Amnesty International as a "universal tool of the torturer".</p>
<h1>Key information</h1>
<p><strong>Based in: </strong>South Africa</p>
<p><strong>Builds:</strong> clothing, uniforms, boots, bullet proof vests and body armour, helmets, bags, and equipment such as binoculars, belts and holsters.</p>
<p><strong>Key markets</strong>: Exports to 75 countries</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/465" hreflang="en">Front Page</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/230" hreflang="en">South Africa</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/507" hreflang="en">Police militarisation</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/63" hreflang="en">arms trade</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Police militarisation theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/equipment-training-and-tactics" hreflang="en">Equipment, training and tactics</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-imperial-armour" data-a2a-title="War Profiteer of the Month: Imperial Armour"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Fwar-profiteer-month-imperial-armour&title=War%20Profiteer%20of%20the%20Month%3A%20Imperial%20Armour"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41568&2=comment&3=comment" token="GlilMfi5-pjvqHEiZlv7cvlXpfmkmZfAmsL1MNnKPJY"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:31:37 +0000Andrew41568 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-imperial-armour#commentsWar Profiteer of the Month: Otokarhttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-otokar
<div data-history-node-id="41537" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-07/otokar_tank.jpg?itok=sMh94aiy 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/jpeg"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-07/otokar_tank.jpg?itok=n4HuAHZG 1x" type="image/jpeg"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-07/otokar_tank.jpg?itok=n4HuAHZG" alt="An Otokar tank on display at Eurosatory 2018" title="An Otokar tank on display at Eurosatory 2018" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">An Otokar tank on display at Eurosatory 2018</div>
<time>
11 Jul 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><article class="embedded-entity align-right"><img srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/max_325x325/public/otokar-logo.png?itok=ynVfuyIs 1x" src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/medium/public/otokar-logo.png?itok=z9MbfHkp" alt="The Otokar logo" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></article></p>
<p>Otokar is the biggest private arms company in Turkey, and specialises in military land vehicles such as tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and turret systems. Formed in 1963, the companies vehicles are now in use in 30 different countries, and the company claims there are now over 30,000 Otokar vehicles in service around the world, and is the “main land systems supplier” to the Turkish armed forces. The company manages a 552,000² factory in Sakarya, Turkey, <a href="https://www.otokar.com/en-us/corporate/media/news/Pages/altay-urban-idef.aspx">employing 2000 members of staff</a> and is a subsidiary of Koç Holding, Turkey's largest industrial conglomerate. As well as military vehicles, Otokar also builds a range of civilian vehicles, including buses, trucks, and trailers. In 2012, the companies revenue was over 1 billion Turkish lira ($210 billion).</p>
<p>The company has also been licensed to produce variants of Land Rover vehicles, with a 2010 Turkish Defence Ministry brochure stating that the vehicles were “in operation with many military and security forces around the world”, listing Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhistan, Macedonia, Nakhchivan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, TRNC, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, UK, US and Uzbekistan.</p>
<p>Otokar regularly exhibits at a number of arms fairs around the world. The company recently exhibited at IDEF, the biggest arms fair in Midde East, where it unveiled the “ALTAY-AHT Urban Operations Tank”, a tank designed for use in “assymetrical engagements” and urban environments. The company has also recently been present at LAAD in Brazil, DSEI in London, and Eurosatory in Paris. At Eurosatory, Otokar exhibited it's TULPAR light tank for the first time.</p>
<p><article class="embedded-entity align-left"><img srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/max_325x325/public/otokar_cobra_ii.jpg?itok=S4CZMPIk 1x" src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/medium/public/otokar_cobra_ii.jpg?itok=8Ps5aRWR" alt="An Otokar Cobra II vehicle. The Cobra is a 4x4 camouflaged truck with a gun on top." title="An Otokar Cobra II vehicle." typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></article></p>
<p>Otokar has also profited from European Union border security policies. In 2015, the company won a €47 million tender to supply the Turkish military with 82 Cobra II reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles to be used for border security, paid for in large part by the EU. According to the “Expanding the Fortress” report, the Cobra II vehicles are equipped with thermal imaging and target recognition equipment. The heavily armed vehicles are <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/firing-at-refugees-eu-money-helped-fortify-turkey-s-border-a-1199667.html">used to patrol the border with Syria</a>.</p>
<h1>Key information</h1>
<p><strong>Based in: </strong>Turkey</p>
<p><strong>Builds: </strong>land vehicles; tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and turret systems.</p>
<p><strong>Key markets: </strong>Turkey</p>
<p><strong>Financial information:</strong> 1.004 billion Turkish Lira (2012, equivelant to £192 million at current exchange rate)</p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/465" hreflang="en">Front Page</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/256" hreflang="en">Turkey</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/507" hreflang="en">Police militarisation</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Police militarisation theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/border-militarisation" hreflang="en">Border militarisation</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Companies</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/683" hreflang="en">Otokar</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-otokar" data-a2a-title="War Profiteer of the Month: Otokar"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Fwar-profiteer-month-otokar&title=War%20Profiteer%20of%20the%20Month%3A%20Otokar"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41537&2=comment&3=comment" token="_E1SJyZMLPRksfgS68dIKBcY0zfJr-iy_rxO2_awhxQ"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Wed, 11 Jul 2018 10:42:28 +0000Andrew41537 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/war-profiteer-month-otokar#commentsA Lab and a Showroom: how the Israeli military tested new equipment on the Great March of Returnhttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/lab-and-showroom-how-israeli-military-tested-new-equipment-great-march-return
<div data-history-node-id="41531" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-07/lab_and_showroom.jpg?itok=gPGZmUJF 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/jpeg"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-07/lab_and_showroom.jpg?itok=_vCWN71u 1x" type="image/jpeg"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-07/lab_and_showroom.jpg?itok=_vCWN71u" alt="The front cover of the "A lab and a showroom" report, showing an illustrated drone with a protester in the background" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption"></div>
<time>
04 Jul 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p class="western">In March, April and May 2018, thousands of people in Gaza took part in mass demonstrations against the ongoing land, sea, and air blockade that has been maintained by Israel and Egypt since 2007. The response of the Israeli military was brutal and violent – over a hundred people were killed, and many thousands injured by live fire, rubber bullets, and tear gas.</p>
<p class="western"><a href="https://enhamushim.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/report-with-covers1.pdf">A new report</a> called “A Lab and A Showroom” from Hamushim – a project by Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP), a feminist organization active in the struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine – exposes how the extreme violence used by the Israeli military against Palestinian protesters also supports the development and sale of military equipment by Israeli arms companies. The use of violence against Palestinians as a marketing tool has been a recurring theme for many years. For example, as outlined in the report, Magal Security Systems is an Israeli company specialising in security fencing – the company built the “smart” fence enclosing the Gaza Strip. In 2011 the then-CEO Saar Koursch claimed “Gaza has become a showroom for the company’s ‘smart fences,’ as customers appreciate that the products are battle-tested.”</p>
<h1 class="western">Drones</h1>
<p class="western">The “A Lab and a Showroom” report explains how “The violent response to the Great March of Return, in which the ISF made deliberate choices to kill and permanently injure considerable numbers of Palestinian civilians, also provided the military with a platform to introduce and showcase the use of drones as the strategic choice of the present and future.”</p>
<p class="western">Throughout the Great March of Return protests, the Israeli military used customised unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to disperse large volumes of tear gas. A drone armed with tear gas called “the sea of tears” was allegedly specifically designed for use in Gaza as a crowd dispersal tool and appears to have been first used during the Great March of Return. The “sea of tears” is an adapted Matrice 600, built by Da Jiang Innovations, with the original camera replaced with a tear gas launcher, and was tested in Gaza for several weeks before being used against the Great March of Return.</p>
<p class="western">Video footage on twitter showed drones armed with tear gas being used against large groups of people, and there were reports of tents of women and children were targeted with tear gas, as well as groups of journalists.</p>
<p></p><div class="embed-media embed-media--rich-twitter"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en">VIDEO: Israel has developed drones that deploy tear gas. In mid-March Israeli military officials said they had experimented with them in Gaza. They now seem operational. <a href="https://t.co/9RxUUB7XAS">pic.twitter.com/9RxUUB7XAS</a></p>— Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharifkouddous/status/996059357757526017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p class="western">Within days of the initial protest starting, Ma'fat, the agency responsible for acquiring weapons ordered hundreds of drones from abroad. A spokesperson said “We operated quickly and made immediate purchases of many drones from abroad”</p>
<p class="western">Drones were also developed and used to drop bags of skunk water – a foul smelling liquid – on protesters, with the Israeli militaries research and development unit even posting video footage of the “Shocko drone” being tested on twitter. The drone was built by an company called Aeronautics.</p>
<h1 class="western">Expo</h1>
<p class="western">The Hamushim report ends by describing how on the 15<sup>th</sup> May, one day after the deadliest of the Great March of Return, a magazine called IsraelDefence held their annual arms conference in Tel Aviv. “Fire, Maneuvering, and Intelligence in a Complex Environment” was attended by a thousand members of the Israeli military and and military industries, and “learned about the new developments at the Gaza border, and the future of combat.”</p>
<p class="western"><strong>The full report can be found here: <a href="https://enhamushim.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/report-with-covers1.pdf">https://enhamushim.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/report-with-covers1.pdf</a></strong></p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/228" hreflang="en">Israel</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/205" hreflang="en">Occupied Palestinian Territories</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/507" hreflang="en">Police militarisation</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Police militarisation theme</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/pm-themes/equipment-training-and-tactics" hreflang="en">Equipment, training and tactics</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/lab-and-showroom-how-israeli-military-tested-new-equipment-great-march-return" data-a2a-title="A Lab and a Showroom: how the Israeli military tested new equipment on the Great March of Return"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Flab-and-showroom-how-israeli-military-tested-new-equipment-great-march-return&title=A%20Lab%20and%20a%20Showroom%3A%20how%20the%20Israeli%20military%20tested%20new%20equipment%20on%20the%20Great%20March%20of%20Return"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41531&2=comment&3=comment" token="lWqnZu51LoWr6xQZMRJ0KMf8bDx_Q6T9BP-t1J69CmU"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 12:02:46 +0000Andrew41531 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/lab-and-showroom-how-israeli-military-tested-new-equipment-great-march-return#commentsCorruption Watch report: the Anglo-Italian Jobhttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/corruption-watch-report-anglo-italian-job
<div data-history-node-id="41508" class="node node--type-story node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix">
<picture><!--[if IE 9]><video style="display: none;"><![endif]--><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_desktop/public/2018-06/royal_navy_wildcat_helicopter_mod_45158434.jpg?itok=VznWar3y 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 992px)" type="image/jpeg"></source><source srcset="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-06/royal_navy_wildcat_helicopter_mod_45158434.jpg?itok=Ov7FdSjd 1x" type="image/jpeg"></source><!--[if IE 9]></video><![endif]--><img src="https://www.wri-irg.org/sites/default/files/public_files/styles/single_page_mobiles_and_tablets/public/2018-06/royal_navy_wildcat_helicopter_mod_45158434.jpg?itok=Ov7FdSjd" alt="An AW159 Wildcat helicopter" title="An AW159 Wildcat helicopter" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></picture><div class="caption">An AW159 Wildcat helicopter</div>
<time>
07 Jun 2018</time><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p class="western"><a href="https://www.cw-uk.org/angloitalianjob">A new report from Corruption Watch UK</a> covers a number of corruption scandals involving the Italian arms company Leonardo. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) calculated that the company was the 9th largest defence company by sales in the world in 2015, and a good portion of that success is down to the company’s helicopter division, comprised, until the 1st of January 2016, of the Italian-English multinational company, AgustaWestland (now called Leonard Helicopters).</p>
<p class="western">Leonard Helicopters retains substantial production facilities in the UK at its historic Yeovil site, but the company has been dogged by a number of corruption scandals that have led to criminal and civil cases across multiple jurisdictions including Italy, South Korea, India and Panama.</p>
<p class="western">Over the last three years, Corruption Watch has investigated and tracked these corruption scandals. Corruption Watch’s research shows that the company’s UK subsidiary, or its agents, have been implicated in wrongdoing in a number of cases, with participants drawn from the highest echelons of the company’s management. The most notable of these participants is the Right Honourable Geoff Hoon, the former British Defence Secretary under Tony Blair and, from 2011 until 2016, AgustaWestland’s Manager of International Business based in the UK. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2018/jun/07/former-brexit-minister-says-mays-backstop-plan-extremely-damaging-for-britain-politics-live">Hoon denies the allegations made in the report.</a></p>
<p class="western">Court documents, accessed by Corruption Watch UK in South Korea, show that Hoon was directing the activities of a lobbyist convicted in South Korea in 2016 for ‘illegal intermediation’ – paid lobbying. The lobbyist had been used by AgustaWestland to secure the sale of Wildcat helicopters to the South Korean military and was paid directly in pounds.</p>
<p class="western">This report reveals the inner workings of three of these corruption cases including:</p>
<p class="western"><b>1. The sale of Wildcat helicopters to the South Korean military. </b>AgustaWestland made payments to individuals with links to the South Korean military establishment to secure the deal. These included payments to the lobbyist overseen by Geoff Hoon.</p>
<p class="western"><b>2. The highly controversial sale of VVIP helicopters to India.</b> Over €60m was paid to agents and middlemen on the deal, a substantial portion of which was overseen by AgustaWestland’s UK headquarters, paid to a UK company and paid from UK bank accounts. AgustaWestland furthermore paid one of these agents in relation to other procurements in India. India’s authorities alleged that no legitimate work was performed on those additional contracts, which the agent denies.</p>
<p class="western"><b>3. The sale of surveillance and other equipment to the government of Panama. </b>Allegations of kickbacks to the former Panamanian President, facilitated by an Italian businessman with close links to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, have marred the deal. Panama cancelled the deal in a negotiated agreement with Leonardo that ended legal proceedings in the country.</p>
<p class="western"><strong>The full report from Corruption Watch can be found here: <a href="https://www.cw-uk.org/angloitalianjob">https://www.cw-uk.org/angloitalianjob</a> </strong></p>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Programmes & Projects</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programme/war-profiteers" hreflang="en">War Profiteers</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/war-profiteer-companies" hreflang="en">War profiteer companies</a></span>
</div>
<div class="field--label tags--label field-label-above">Countries</div>
<div class="wri-main--tags">
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/112" hreflang="en">Italy</a></span>
<span class="rel-tag">
<a href="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/92" hreflang="en">United Kingdom</a></span>
</div>
<div class="wri_a2a clearfix">
<span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/corruption-watch-report-anglo-italian-job" data-a2a-title="Corruption Watch report: the Anglo-Italian Job"><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri-irg.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2018%2Fcorruption-watch-report-anglo-italian-job&title=Corruption%20Watch%20report%3A%20the%20Anglo-Italian%20Job"></a></span>
</div>
<section class="comments"><h2>Add new comment</h2>
<drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&1=41508&2=comment&3=comment" token="0yP4xZLIXbgIEUgfC3rYNF4PDricULGXIPXbqRgjwKs"></drupal-render-placeholder></section></div>
Thu, 07 Jun 2018 11:16:31 +0000Andrew41508 at https://www.wri-irg.orghttps://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/corruption-watch-report-anglo-italian-job#comments